A city that has been a part of America, even before the United States existed. You walk out on to the streets and it’s impossible to miss the constant hustle, the cornucopia of sights, sounds, and smells and the ever present buzz in the air. It has some of the best food, arts and museums and is the financial hub of the West, if not the world. Not to mention the great public transportation, one of the most famous parks, and enough back streets and alleys to explore for a lifetime. From the Broadway shows, the lights of Times Square and the thundering herds on Wall Street, New York is truly a one-of-a-kind city, a city in a class by itself.

February 2009

I looked down at my watch: 7pm. The sun was already starting to drift behind the karst limestone peaks of Vang Vieng, Laos. Soon it would be dark and too dangerous to ride. I knew this was going to be the last ride of the day. The rest of my crew had gone ahead and it was now just me, my motobike, and the open road.

“Well… I still have time left on the rental and more than enough fuel. Let’s see how fast this baby goes…”

There are few places in this world that completely blow your mind. Places where you question whether or not you are still on Earth. Places where reality seems impossible. The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is one of them. read more…

I’ve found that taking public transportation while traveling abroad is one of the more interesting experiences you’ll find. Not only is it a ton cheaper, but getting out of the comfortable, air-conditioned, bubble of the tourist coach bus gives you a totally different perspective of the country.

I pulled into Khao Lak at 2am. The town was dead. There was one main road running through the town and there wasn’t a single soul out on the streets. As I learned over the next few days, Khao Lak was the furthest thing from a backpacker’s hangout. For some odd reason, it had transformed into a five-star resort vacation spot for Germans. I spent three days surrounded by German families and old people. If it weren’t for the world-class diving, I would’ve bounced in a heartbeat. But I digress.

Backpacking is fun. There’s no doubt about it. But it’s also challenging. You’re always catching buses, trains, boats, packing, unpacking, dealing with unfamiliar places and people. It wears you down mentally and physically. Most of the time you just deal with it and move on.